Social Tourism and Finish Line Promo Codes: My Secret to Traveling Cheap

I've always been fascinated by the beauty of the Rhine. The idea of traveling through that emerald paradise was one of my greatest aspirations, but my world was mundane and boring. I was always having trouble in life. No opportunity ever came my way. I had to put my dreams on hold and eventually gave up on them because I thought going there would be impossible. I couldn't leave and there was nothing I could do about it. I never forgot about traveling, I just knew that with my bad income I would never be able to do that. I could afford the airfare and the food and stuff, but the accommodations would be a hassle. I would need to buy food and I would need money to enjoy the experience.

One day, I was looking up tourism online and came across the idea of social tourism. Basically, social tourism, also known as "tourism for all", is a way for people with middle to low incomes to be able to experience tourism in a way that they never thought they could. I was awestruck. I didn't think such a thing existed. I would be able to leave the country and have a place to stay where I went. I would be able to explore and really see the places I'd always wanted to see. It was amazing. I saw my dreams finally coming to fruition and there was no looking back. I decided that I would go and finally see the Rhine. Nothing would hold me back.

I realized rather quickly that I would have to prepare. My shoes were worn out and it was likely that they wouldn't be able to make the trip. They would wear out and get stained. I needed some new clothes to deal with the cold, and a number of other things in order to ensure my ability to make it out there and back again without looking like a pauper.

I needed to go hiking. That was the whole idea behind the trip, but the Rhine simply isn't the kind of place where you can go unprepared. I needed to bring things along with me, but the area is wet and I didn't want them to get ruined. I'd need to bring matches for a fire. I needed to bring extra clothes and things that would have to be dry. I decided to check out a way to make sure I could store my stuff and avoid the water. I found a website called 6pm.com where they offered a whole load of supplies for tourists. They had a bag called The North Face Base Camp Water Canister. This bag was perfect. It had a water resistant protective coating and it was dirt cheap. It was only 30 USD. The original price is 39. So, that's a 13% off discount right there. With a coupon for 6pm I got another 30% off.

My shoes were also an issue. They were old, and they were starting to show some wear. I couldn't walk around very much with them because there was a chance they wouldn't hold up. I needed something that would be durable enough for me to go hiking in, but also comfortable enough that it wouldn't bother my feet. I went to a couple stores, and I found some great shoes, but I wanted to look good and a lot of the shoes I found simply didn't have the right stuff. I decided to check out finishline.com. They had a huge selection of shoes, and I had a lot of choices that I loved, but the one I really liked was the Women's Nike Son Of Force Casual Shoes. They offered the right look and they would be durable enough for me to go hiking in.

I was finally prepared to make my dream of seeing the Rhine come true. It was the most amazing feeling ever. I could see that beautiful, dark forest in my dreams. The idea of really going there was simply wonderful. I was ecstatic.

The best thing about shopping online is the jaw-dropping discounts that you get. Some people will tell you that these discounts are an illusion - prices are marked up and then discounted to get you excited, or sometimes the discounts are offered on older MRPs so they seem even higher. That may be true in some or many cases.

Knowing this, I always wait for End of Season sales to pick up something I've had an eye on, and am almost always happy with my purchase. Being an outdoorsy person who spends most of her time running everywhere, hiking up lonely mountain trails, or wheeling long distances on my Ridley Liz, I shop for athletic apparel all the time. I shop at lot at Foot Lockers and Finish Line in particular, because I love to have a variety of brands and types of apparel to choose from in one place. My nephew buys his basketball shoes from FinishLine.com. They have a great variety.

Lately, I've stopped visiting the nearest Finish Line store or Macy's, because the Finish Line coupon codes are so attractive for shopping online. I just visit the physical stores from time to time, to keep myself informed of the prices and check out new arrivals (plus, there is something wonderful and relaxing about rows and rows of great sports shoes on a wall.) If I like something, I wait a while for slashed prices. Because the brand is always offering deals, I always manage to get what I wanted at a better price. I also always get my running and gym clothing, socks and thermal gloves from there.

For those of you who are looking for great discounts on athletic wear, here is my roundup of the current sales, deals and coupon codes that will get you great stuff on Finish Line at super attractive prices.

Upto 60% off on Women's Shoes (no Finish Line discount code needed)

Check out the End of Season Sale at the official Finish Line website for Adidas, Nike, Asics, Puma, Mizuno, Under Armor and other top brands of women's athletic shoes. You'll find that Finish Line doesn't only offer heavy duty sports shoes, but footwear that doubles as great fashion footwear as well. The discounted prices at Finish Line are almost always better than the discounted prices at the official online brand stores. Here's an example - the Under Armor Women's Micro G Engage BL Running Shoes, which are super comfortable for running or jogging, is marked at $79.99. The official Under Armor online store is selling the Aluminum version for $59.99 but Finish Line is currently selling them at $41.99. Needless to say, I bought two pairs of those.

Upto 50% off on Men's Shoes (no Finish Line promo code needed)

Check out sports and athletic fashion shoes for men at up to 50% discounts. I wish they had some Timberland boots for women up for sale, as they do in the men's sale. The Men's Timberland Earthkeepers 3-Eye classic lug boat shoes in black are marked down from $134.99 to $38.49, which is a whopping 70 percent discount! The shoes are great - I bought a pair for my boyfriend before the price came down due to limited sizes. If you're a size 7.5, go grab those shoes before anyone else does! Also on sale are a few Lacoste, North Face and Jordan shoes.

Deals Under $50 (no coupon or promo code)

There are also fantastic deals for $50 and under. Footwear for kids and toddlers, training shorts, sports bras, fleece pants, tees and other stuff are available for as low as $2.99 (which is what I paid for a set of three pairs of Finish Line low cut socks). Deals are also available on items like no-tie shoelaces, headbands, cute footie socks, cinch bags and other accessories.

Upto 50% off on Women's Apparel (deal applies without a coupon or promo code)

FinishLine carries a good range of hoodies, shorts, tanks, leggings, fleece capes and t-shirts from Adidas, Nike, The North Face, Capezio, Moving Comfort and others that you can get for up to fifty percent off.

50% off on Accessories and Kids' Apparel.

If you're looking for other athletic accessories (snapback hats, Sof Sole insoles, backpacks etc.) or sporty onesies, caps and booties for toddlers, you can get them for up to 50% discounts.

Other offers include free shipping on thousands of styles, up to 75% off on men's basketball shoes and plenty of other great deals from Groupon, Deals Plus, RetailMeNot and elsewhere.

For an amateur athlete (and collector of sports shoes!) like me, Groupon coupons have helped me score great prices when it comes to athletic apparel.

Hope this helps. If you need a pair of sneakers that you're not willing to shell out $100 for, now is the best time to get your hands on them at a fraction of the marked price. Happy shopping!

Editor's note :FInish Line is not only a great place to shop but also an amazing place to work, according to business analyst Kristopher Kalb, graduate of Indiana University.